1970 Dodge Challenger - The Power Of 10

Of all the tenets of hot rodding, there is nothing more basic than the engine swap. Getting an old car to go faster with a modern powerplant has always been one of HOT ROD's favorite ways of extracting eye-widening performance. More cubes, more power, more smiles, more fannies spanked at the stoplight.

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Some swaps, of course, are virtually drop-ins: Popping a big-block into a Camaro that did not arrive with one from the factory is no big deal, as plenty of parts are readily available. But try dropping an engine into something that wasn't built to accommodate it. Remember what a pain in the butt the streetable small-block/Vega swap was? There are those blazing trails with modern engines in classic sheetmetal-Ford's excellent 32-valve 4.6 V-8 seems to be leading the way on this front, and a few Caddy Northstars have found their way into some interesting projects as well.

Alas, Mopar fans don't have a V-8 quite that new to sink their teeth into. The Jeep 4.7L V-8 has only just arrived, and it will inevitably trickle down to rodders. Beyond that, you have the same array of 318s and 360s (and yes, Hemis) that have been haunting us since the '60s-not exactly modern stuff. But what of the Dodge V-10? There's torque aplenty, and the sheer kink factor involved in a 10-cylinder anything cannot be denied. Expensive in all-aluminum Viper form, and about 60 pounds more than a Hemi in its cast-iron truck iteration, it's still tough to come by either version. Besides, would it fit in anything that wasn't designed to handle it? The very answer to this question drove to our photo location in Commerce, Georgia: This is the only V-10-powered Dodge Challenger we know to exist. The engine and electronic controls were rescued from a wrecked 12,000-mile '96 Ram and was attached to an A518 overdrive tranny.

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Ray Staveski, who is one-third owner of a resto/performance/radical modern custom shop called Time Machines (Hudson, Florida), sourced a badly beaten 318 ragtop and began the transformation. Staveski wanted a Hemi clone, but soon his partners (his son, Mike, and Richard Brandl Sr.) convinced him to break new ground. Surprisingly, they didn't need wall stretchers and grease to slip it in: They widened and notched the firewall to clear the transmission, and they fabricated custom motor mounts to tie it down. Some Borgeson U-joints in the steering made everything work as it should. And, um, that's about it-or at least, that's all they're admitting to. Richard Brandl Jr., at Time Machines, did all of the measuring and mount making for the conversion.

The engine received a fabricated, polished-aluminum air-intake plenum that's a good deal prettier than the one Dodge wedges under those giant truck hoods, and a handbuilt oil pan was scratched up to clear the K-frame. The rest is a fairly straightforward rotisserie resto that was strengthened with subframe connectors. Aside from the big V-10, a repop stock interior, full-power top, Magnum 500 wheels, and an exquisite Plum Crazy paint job are the main attractions. Since there is no air cleaner to accept it, the Shaker scoop was attached directly to the hood. Staveski rested everything on a Hemi-spec suspension.

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We're being told that this fun E-body, though amusing and meticulously executed, is only a harbinger: We've heard rumors of a 32-valve 4.6-powered '49 Merc ragtop and a Northstar-powered Olds 442 hatching in Hudson. Watch out for these guys. They're gonna be big. Fat swaps like their V-10 Challenger will be the reason why.